It's the first state police agency in the country to have dogs with that type of ability.

Sgt. Scott Scala and his Lab, Jase, are part of the new K-9 unit made up of four dogs and their handlers who are trained in the next level of protection -- the ability to detect explosive material on a moving person.

"I handle a drug detection dog, also, and this is the first time I've ever worked in and around people. It's a big difference," said K-9 unit Trooper Justin Fohs.

During a demonstration at Maryland State Police headquarters in Sykesville on Friday, people could see how Jase and the other dogs reacted to people walking by. Jase largely ignored the people and instead sniffed the air around them until he caught a scent he'd been trained to detect. He zeroed in on the target subject, a man in a green shirt.

"Wherever the odor is actually funneling, the dog will hit that particular odor, and then we train them to actually follow it to the point of source," Scala said. "If anyone is transporting anything in a bag or on their person, we can actually work the air surrounding that area, and the dog will give us an indication and be able to give us a trail as to where the particular odor is coming from."

People will be able to see the unit at large-crowd events like Orioles and Ravens games and the airport. The unit was made necessary by events like the Boston Marathon bombing.

The dogs and their handlers had to go through 12 weeks of intensive training for it.

"It was a challenging but rewarding 12 weeks. It's a different concept that's been in existence for a few years now, but for law enforcement, it's a fairly new concept," said Sgt. Joe Catalono.

"It adds a totally different aspect to the job. Actually being able to try to control a dog working through a crowd is very challenging but very rewarding at the same time," said Trooper Adam Thomas. "Normally, you're working static objects or buildings, bags, cars, things like that. But with people, it just adds a totally different aspect."

The state police have partnered with the Department of Homeland Security and the Johns Hopkins Applied Science Lab to track the K-9 unit's success.

"We must ever evolve in what we're doing in our protection phase for the citizens and for the country," Scala said.

YOU KNOW BOMB SNIFFING CANINES ARE NOTHING NEW, BUT THE MARYLAND STATE POLICE HAVE A BRAND-NEW UNIT IN PLACE WITH DOGS TRAINED TO BE THE NEXT LEVEL OF PROTECTION AND THEY ARE THE FIRST AGENCY IN THE COUNTRY TO HAVE THAT SPECIAL UNIT. JENNIFER FRANCIOTTI HAS THE STORY. HE GETS HIS LAB CHASE READY TO GO TO WORK. THE PAIR ARE PART OF THE NEW MARYLAND STATE POLICE CANINE UNIT, MADE UP OF FOUR DOGS AND THEIR HANDLERS, TRAINS TO DETECT EXPLOSIVE MATERIAL ON A MOVING PERSON. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE WORKED IN AND AROUND PEOPLE. IT IS A BIG DIFFERENCE. WATCH OUT -- HOW HE REACTS TO PEOPLE. HE LARGELY IGNORES THEM. HE SNIFFS AROUND THEM. HE ZEROES IN ON THE TARGET SUBJECT -- IN THIS CASE, THE MAN IN THE GREEN SHIRT. GOOD JOB, BUDDY! THE DOG WILL HIT THAT PARTICULAR ODOR AND WE TRAIN THEM TO FOLLOW IT TO THE POINT OF SOURCE. IF ANYONE IS TRANSPORTING ANYTHING IN A BAG OR ON THEIR PERSON, WE CAN WORK THE AIR SURROUNDING THAT AREA AND THE DOG WILL GIVE US AN INDICATION AND BE ABLE TO GIVE US A TRAIL AS TO WHERE THE PARTICULAR ODOR IS COMING FROM. THE MARYLAND STATE POLICE IS THE FIRST AGENCY OF ITS KIND IN THE COUNTRY TO HAVE PERSON-B ORNE-EXPLOSIVE THE TEXAN DOGS. -- PROTECTION DOGS. YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE BEST OF THE BEST. THESE DOGS AND THEIR HANDLERS HAD TO GO THROUGH 12 WEEKS OF INTENSIVE TRAINING. IT WAS CHALLENGING, BUT REWARDING. 12 WEEKS. THESE CONCEPTS HAVE BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR A FEW YEARS NOW, BUT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT, IT IS A FAIRLY NEW CONCEPT. IT AS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT ASPECT OF THE JOB. IT IS CHALLENGING, BUT REWARDING. NORMALLY YOU ARE WORKING STATIC OBJECTS, BUILDINGS, BATHS, CARS. WITH THE PEOPLE, IT ADDS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT ASPECT. THE STATE POLICE WILL TRACK THE K-9 UNIT SUCCESS.